The Lord is
my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me
rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my
strength. (Psalm 23:1-2, NLT)
Psalm 23
gives us such a lovely pastoral scene. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who takes
care of His children as though they are sheep. The sheep’s instincts are to
flock together, especially toward the center of the herd to stay safe. Out
alone, by itself, the sheep doesn’t have much defense against preying animals.
I can’t
imagine a safer place to be than by the Good Shepherd where He leads. Jesus
desires to lead His children into a peaceful place in the meadow. As a sheep,
wouldn’t it be great to nibble on the cool green grass and rest there instead
of pushing our way to the center of the flock for protection? We can trust Him
to watch over us. He desires to have His sheep be refreshed in peaceful waters,
not dangerous rapids. How often do I want to run ahead and deal with things on
my own, not considering that He has a better way for me?
If I want
the Good Shepherd to lead me, I need to follow Him. I must trust and rest in Him.
That’s where I can feed on His Word and drink in His living presence. Some days
I feel like I’m growing closer than others. I am thankful Jesus will never
leave me or forsake me, even when I’m not the smartest sheep in the bunch!
Father, lead me closer to You through your Son.
Without You I am nothing. Thank you for your unfailing love and mercies every
day. Help me to trust in your presence and guidance one day at a time.
Amen. Keep up the great encouraging posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karla, for your words of encouragement to me, my friend. :)
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